AMG Review of Arboles [EP]

Thom Jurek
All Music Guide

This debut five-song EP by Hawthorne, California's Dios is a provocative, stunningly produced piece of spaced out, dreamily textured indie pop. Dios are vocalist/ guitarist, Joel Morales, keyboardist Jimi Camaro, John Paul Caballaro on bass, and drummer Jeffrey Enzor. Their sound weaves together the blissed-out pop textures of Sister Lovers-era Big Star, the perverse production sensibilities of the Flaming Lips, and pure California mellow psychedelia. Lyrically, Dios write ridiculous slacker anthems about people who have no direction, but their music on Los Arboles tells a different story, one that is literate, multi-textured, sophisticated, and accessible. Notable tracks are "All Said + Done," "Tragic Lady," and "You'll Get Yours." These guys won't be indie for long, they're far too good, and far too marketable to stay hidden in Hawthorne.